Guyana tops Caribbean at CSEC, CAPE

Guyana has copped the top spots in the Caribbean at the 2020 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).

The country has also been conferred with four of the five Caribbean Examination Council’s (CXC) awards for CSEC top performers and two of seven for the CAPE high-flyers.

Minister of Education, Hon. Priya Manickchand made the announcement on Wednesday, during the declaration of the CSEC and CAPE results event held at the National Centre for Educational Resources Development (NCERD). 

Among the students who will be receiving awards for outstanding performances from CXC is CSEC top performer Bhedesh Persaud of Queen’s College.  He acquired 22 grade ones and one grade 2 passes. The aspiring engineer says while the process was rigorous, he is pleased with his achievements.

“I actually decided to do this while I was in fourth form, well at the end of third form going into fourth form so it was intense, but I absolutely enjoyed it. I enjoy learning so that made it much easier…I am of course grateful and happy for the results, but of course my focus is on CAPE right now,” he told DPI.

Other CSEC students who performed exceptionally will also receive awards from CXC. 

Nyron Seoukienandan of St. Rose’s High School will receive the award for most outstanding in business; Anthony Sukra of New Amsterdam Secondary School, most outstanding in Technical and Vocational Studies and Shania Sattaur of Brickdam Secondary School for most outstanding in Principles of Accounts.

Meanwhile, CAPE top student Zane Ramotar, also from Queen’s College, is the most outstanding overall student in the Caribbean and the most outstanding in Natural Sciences.

Ramotar said he will be furthering his studies in the field of physics at the University of Southern California in the United States. He plans to return to Guyana to serve as a Physicist.

“The plan is to come back here and develop Guyana, especially in the field of Physics…I know for sure in the teaching department there is scope for it because a lot of students really see Physics as this hard subject that nobody could do and that’s not the case so I want to change their perspective on that,” he noted.

Minister Manickchand congratulated the students and commended them for making the country proud even in face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges they encountered regarding their grades. 

“I think to have written these exams in those circumstances and done this well says two things; that you had a good foundation, you have good support and that you have a very promising future,” she told the students.

The Education Minister said the Government will continue to provide opportunities for students to pursue their dreams.

“Today I tell you that we will work very hard in the Government and in the Ministry of Education to make sure that you don’t want of financial resources or guidance, that you are not forced to not pursue any of your dreams or passions.

We will make ways available and give you opportunities because we know that when you get qualified and come back here that all of Guyana will benefit.”

Other top CSEC performers who copped 12 grade ones and over were also elated with their achievement. Duvina Seurattan and Tabitha Alves of Region Two are top candidates with passes in 21 and 20 subjects respectively.  

Seurattan of the Anna Regina Secondary School obtained 19 great ones and two grade twos. She said she is overwhelmed and proud mostly to have topped the school, as well as Region Two.

Despite the challenges with having to adopt to new methods of learning following Covid, Seurattan said she persevered and now plans to further her academic studies in Chemical Engineering.

“On the Essequibo Coast, the WIFI is not so strong so it was difficult to adopt to those online classes, so I propelled to do a lot of reading on my own and work past papers and so on…I would encourage other students preparing for exams to focus, do not get frustrated because it’s a pandemic it’s not the end of things.”

Alves, who topped the Abrams’ Zuil Secondary School with 16 grade ones and four grade twos, said she was surprised at her results, since she was not only affected by the pandemic, but had to take care of her sick mother. She plans to pursue a career as a Paediatrician.

The performance of students in the hinterland was also notable. Keron Williams of the Port Kaituma School, Region One obtained the top spot with nine grade ones and two grade twos. Top Performers of the Three Miles Secondary, Region Seven, Paramatakoi Secondary, Region Eight and St. Ignatius Secondary, Region Nine also gained grades one and two passes in 10, 7 and 10 subjects respectively.

With a total of 12,009 students registered for the CSEC 2020 examinations with 70,710 subject entries, Guyana recorded an overall pass rate of 75.99 per cent compared to 73 per cent in 2019. The overall pass rate for CAPE in 2020 was 93.16 per cent with 853 students sitting the examination.